Shoe heel



1. M; HANKO.

sHoE HEEL. APPLICATION FILED MAR-3l. I92I 1,41 ,094. Patented May 30, 1922 ATTORNEY PATENT @lrlfl JOSEPH .'M. RANKO, 0F 'NEW YORK, N. Y.

SHOE HEEL.

specification of Letters Patent. Patented May 30, 1922.

Application led March 31, 1921. Serial No. 457,175.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JosnrH M. RANKO, a citizen of the United States, and resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe Heels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improvement in shoe heels and involves a novel construction of lift adapted to be detachably secured to the body portion of the heel.

Various attempts have been made to vprovide a serviceable lift of vulcanized rubber or other substitute for use with heels of cast aluminum or other metal, but so far as I know, such attempts havenot met with complete success. For ladies shoes such lifts must be comparatively small and there is only a limited area within which the weight of the wearer is supported and a smaller area for the attaching means. The lift must be prevented from any movement in its own plane and must be resilient to cushion the contact of the heel in walking. It must be stiff eno-ugh to have its edges hold firmly to the body of the heel, and be of long enough life to be commercially practical. It must be of such construction that no special tools or skill are required for its removal and the replacement by a new one. The weight of the wearer must be distributed throughout the area of the lift and the aluminum body must be prevented from cutting or chafing the composition ofthe lift. The main object of my invention is to provide a construction which will better fulfilll these requirements, and possess these desirable attributes in a cheaper, simpler and more efficient form.

In carrying out my inventio-n I provide a top or backing plate which is so formed as to substantially follow the contour of the under surface of the heel body, there being provided a central. non-circular elevation or raised portion adapted to enter a correspondingly shaped socket or recess in the heel body. The rubber or other composition of the lift is carried by and secured to this plate and is thus of increasedthiekness at the center portion of the lift. The lift and plate are attached by a single screw, the head of which may be forced against a reinforcing or stiffening plate or washer within the lift and between the upper and lower surfaces thereof.` A portion of the compoeinen is heid between this seeming pine and the top Or backing plate, to give rigidity or stiffness to the peripheral portion of the lift. The composition does not directly contact with the body of the heel except possibly through apertures. in thebacking plate and from the edges of which anchoring lugsv may extend into the composition. It is practically impossible to form cast heels in large quantities and lifts in similar quantities and have the projecting portions of each lift perfectly lit the recess of every heel. By molding the backing plate to the composition, the two will of course have perfect surface contact. The backing plate, even if it does not perfectly fit the recess of the heel, will distribute the strain properly to all parts of the composition. rIhus cutting or chafing of the composition is prevented. The backing plate covers substantially the entire composition layer and serves to distribute the weight. Turning of the lift about the attaching screw as an axis is prevented by the engagement of the peripheral wall of the raised portion of the backing plate with the wall of the socket of the heel body. This is a metal to metal engagement, and more effective than a construction where the `resilient composition engages the wall. of the socket and may be compressed or distorted.

In the accompanyingillustrated one embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a shoe heel, the lower portion and lift being shown in section. f

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the lift on a very much enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section and Fig. 4 is an inverted plan view of the reinforcing plate separate from the composition.

As illustrated, I employ my improved construction in connection with a shoe heel having a body portion l() of cast aluminum and provided with a non-circular recess or socket ll in the under surface. My improved lift includes a top or backing plate 12 of a form corresponding to the shape or outline of the heel to which it is applied. The plate has a marginal portion rectly engage with the under surface of the marginal portion of the heel body, and a raised central portion 14 adapted to fit Within the socket. The socket is non-circular and through the lift,

drawings I have 13 adapted to diconforms generally to the shape lof the heel, ,Y

' ters Patent is:

and the raised portion is of corresponding form. The inclined walls 115 of the raisedy a layer'lG of vulcanized rubber or similar composition, and with its marginal edge corresponding in shape to the marginal edge of the plate 12, but either straight or inclined corresponding to the shape of the heel to which the'lift is to be attached. rlhis compositionlift is anchored to the plate 12 by anchoring iianges or other parts extending into the composition. As shown, the center of the raised portions has three apertures with lianges 17 at the edges thereof eX- tending downwardly into the composition so as'to prevent any separation of the two members. I do not wish to be rlimited to this particular form, shape, position `or number of anchoring members, as other connecting means might be employed. f

Within the composition layer I provide a plate 18 serving as a stiflening plate, and beneath and spaced from the center of the raised portion 14 of the top or backing plate. Thus a portion of the composition is between the two plates, and the supporting of this portion aids in giving` rigidity and stili"- ness to the marginal tion. The two plates have central registering apertures through which an attaching screw 19 may extend. This screw enters a threaded aperture in the body of the heel and the head comes within the composition below the stiffening plate 18. The head of the screw is thus concealed and protected in the composition, but is not so far above the lower surface of the latter as to make it inconvenient to readily engage a screwdriver therewith. The only portion of the composition-which comes in contact with the aluminum body of the heel ,is the very small portion exposed at the apertures'formed by striking out the anchoring flanges 17. 'll his is comparatively slight and may be considered negligible. Thus the backing plate distributes the pressure uniformly over the lift in case the upper surface of the lift does not perfectly lit the under surface of the `heel body. yo chaiing or cutting` of the composition by the heel body is possible, and the lift cannot rotate or move laterally from its secured position. y

H ving thus described my invention, what .l claim as new and desire to secure by Leting'plate having its peripheral edge substantially coinciding with the outer surface of the heel body and providedwith a raised portion substantially fitting said recess, a

portion of the composi- "New York and State of New composition layer secured to said plate, a stiffening plate smaller than said raised portion and spaced therefrom within said composition, said plates having central registering apertures, and an attaching screw extending into the heel body and having its head within the composition, below said stiffening plate.

2. The combination with a heel body hav- "ing a non-circular recess in the under surface, of a lift having a top or backing plate, the margin `of which substantially follows the contour of the heel body, .said plate being provided with a raised portion substantially litting said recess, a composition layer secured to said plate, and means for attachring said lift to said heel body.

3. rlhe combination with a heel body having a non-circular recess in the under surface, of a lift having a top or backing plate of substantially the same size as they under surface of the heel and provided with a Vraised portion adapted to substantially it within said recess to prevent lateral movement or rotation of said lift, a composition layer beneath said plate,kportions of said plate being partially severed to form anchoring flanges within said composition, and means for securing said lift to said'heel bod ty The combination kwith a heel body having a recess in the under surface, of a lift having a top or backing plate of substantially the same size as the under surface of the heel and provided 'with a raised portion adapted to substantially fit within said recess, a composition layer beneath said plate, portions ered to form anchoring fianges within said composition, a stifening plate ,within the composition and below yand spaced from said top or backing plate, and an attaching screw extending through both'of said plates into said heel body and having its head below said stiffening plate.

5. A lift adapted for attachment to shoe heels having a recess in the under surface, said lift including a top or backing plate of substantially the same sizeas the under surface of the heel and' provided with a raised portion adapted to fit'withinthe recess of the heel, a'composition layer entirely beneath said plate, portions ofsaid plate being partially severed to form anchoring flanges projecting down'into said composition, and a stiffening plate within the composition -and below and spaced from said top or backing plate,'said plates and composition having central registering apertures for an attaching sore Signed at New York, 'in the 'county of York this 29th day of March, A. D. 1921.

JOSEPH M.v RANKO.

of said plate being partially sev- 

